There is nothing better than a batch of fresh, warm bomboloni doughnuts. These crispy and soft bomboloni with an irresistible filling will make anyone’s mouth water. They’re perfect with a big cup of coffee in the mornings or as a mid-day pick-me-up. You will love how light and airy a freshly fried bomboloni is.
While it may seem difficult to make bomboloni from scratch, you’ll be surprised at how easy this recipe comes together. Simply mix the dough, let it rise, cut the dough, let it rise again, fry the doughnuts, then fill them with a rich and luscious cream. Patience is key, as the hardest part is waiting for the dough to rise! If you want another delicious fried recipe to take advantage of your pot of oil then try my zeppole recipe, glazed donuts recipe, or fried ice cream recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Flour — you don’t need anything fancy to make bomboloni. All you need is regular all-purpose flour.
Sugar — you’ll need sugar to sweeten the doughnut dough and to toss the doughnuts in after frying.
Yeast — make sure the yeast is fresh. If your yeast is expired, the dough will not rise and will leave you with dense, doughy, and flat doughnuts.
Butter — make sure you are buying unsalted butter and not salted butter. Be sure to bring the butter to room temperature, where it is soft enough, so your finger leaves a dent when you press into it. Room temperature butter will help prevent overmixing the dough.
Milk — make sure to check the temperature of your milk. If your milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast, but if it is not warm enough, it won’t activate it.
Eggs — eggs make the bomboloni smooth and soft. They also help the dough rise and contribute to the fluffy, airy texture of the doughnuts.
Filling — you can generously fill these bomboloni with your favorite type of filling, from pastry cream to chocolate.
How to Make Bomboloni
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, ½ cup sugar, and yeast. Stir to combine. Scatter the softened butter over the flour mixture. Add the milk and egg mixture, vanilla, and salt to the flour mixture. Using the dough hook attachment, beat on low speed until a smooth and elastic dough forms and then turn the dough out and shape it into a ball. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.
2. Punch down the risen dough and turn it out into a clean work surface. Knead the dough 4 to 5 times and shape it back into a ball. Roll the dough out into a ¾-inch thick rectangle. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut the dough into 12 rounds. Place each round on a 4×4-inch square of parchment paper. Loosely cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.
3. Fill a large Dutch oven with oil 3 inches deep. Insert a deep-fry thermometer and place the pot of oil over medium heat until it reaches 300°F to 310°F. Working with 2 or 3 at a time, carefully lift each dough round by the parchment and drop dough-side down into the oil. Removing the parchment with tongs.
4. Cook for 2½ minutes, then turn over and cook an additional 2½ minutes, or until each side is a deep golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and drain on the paper towels. Let cool for 2 minutes.
5. Roll each Italian doughnut in a bowl containing ¼ cup of sugar. Place on a wire rack and cool completely.
6. Once cool, use the tip of a small knife to make a small incision on the side of each doughnut and fill with pastry cream or chocolate hazelnut spread.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Don’t skip placing the bomboloni on parchment squares. When the dough has risen, you risk deflating the dough if you handle it by hand to transfer the dough to the oil.
- If you’d like a change from pastry cream or chocolate hazelnut spread, you can fill the doughnuts with homemade strawberry jam or my dulce de leche recipe.
- I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour for the most accurate results. However, if you don’t have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup and resulting in too much flour in the dough.
- Keep the mixer on low speed to avoid overworking the doughnut dough.
- Make sure you use a pot that is large enough when deep frying. The bomboloni will expand in the oil, so you want there to be enough space for both the doughnuts and the oil.
- A deep-fry thermometer is key to making the perfect bomboloni. Keep the oil temperature between 300°F to 310°F, adjusting the heat as needed. If the oil is too low in temperature, you end up with doughnuts that are greasy on the outside or doughy on the inside. If the oil is too hot, the bomboloni will brown too fast and will not be cooked in the middle.
- Don’t add too many doughnuts at once into the oil, as too many doughnuts will lower the oil’s temperature. The doughnuts will also need room to expand, and it’s easier to flip when there’s space.
- You need to work fast when draining the doughnuts to roll in the sugar. If you wait too long, the doughnuts will cool too much, and the sugar won’t stick to them.
- Wait for the doughnuts to cool completely before filling them. If the bomboloni are still hot, the filling will melt out of the doughnuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Italian doughnuts are best when eaten the day they are made. However, leftover bomboloni can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
If you do not have a mixer, don’t worry! You can knead the bomboloni dough by hand until the dough feels tacky but does not stick to a clean finger when quickly touched.
Zeppole is a type of Italian doughnut, but they are not the same as bomboloni. Zeppole is closer to a batter that is spooned into the frying oil, whereas bomboloni is dough shaped ahead of time before going into the oil. Zeppole also uses ricotta cheese which makes them incredibly light.
My go-to oils for frying are vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and sunflower oil, as they are neutral in flavor and have a high smoke point. You do not want to use an oil low in smoke point as the oil will burn as the fat breaks down, imparting an unpleasant taste to your bomboloni.
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Bomboloni
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot
- Deep-fry thermometer
- Pastry bag and piping tip
Ingredients
For the Doughnuts:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (480g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar divided (150g)
- 2¼ teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (instant yeast) (7g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter diced and softened (113g)
- ½ cup warm whole milk (100F-110F) (120mL)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Vegetable oil for frying
For the Filling:
- 1½ cups pastry cream or chocolate hazelnut spread
Instructions
For the Doughnuts:
- Lightly oil a large bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, ½ cup sugar, and the yeast. Stir to combine. Scatter the softened butter over the flour mixture.
- In a small bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Add the milk mixture, vanilla, and salt to the flour mixture.
- Using the dough hook attachment, beat on low speed until a smooth and elastic dough forms, about 10 minutes. The dough should feel tacky but not stick to a clean finger when quickly touched.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Knead 4 to 5 times or just enough to shape it into a ball. (You shouldn’t need to flour the surface). Place the dough in the oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
- While the dough rises, cut 12 (4×4-inch) squares of parchment paper. Place on a baking sheet.
- Punch down the risen dough and turn it out into a clean work surface. Knead the dough 4 to 5 times and shape it back into a ball. Roll the dough out into a ¾-inch thick rectangle. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut the dough into 12 rounds. Reroll any dough scraps, if needed. Place each dough round on a parchment square. Loosely cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- When the dough is close to done rising, fill a large Dutch oven with oil 3 inches deep. Insert a deep-fry thermometer and place over medium heat until it reaches 300°F to 310°F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Place the remaining ¼ cup sugar in a medium bowl.
- Working with 2 or 3 at a time, carefully lift each dough round by the parchment and drop dough-side down into the oil. Removing the parchment with tongs. Cook for 2½ minutes then turn over and cook an additional 2½ minutes, or until each side is a deep golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and drain on the paper towels. Let cool for 2 minutes.
- Roll each doughnut in the remaining sugar. Place on a wire rack and cool completely.
For the Filling:
- Once cool, use the tip of a small knife to make a small incision in the side of each doughnut. Place the desired filling in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Insert the tip into each slit and fill. The doughnuts are best when enjoyed the day they are made, however, leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Don’t skip placing the bomboloni on parchment squares. When the dough has risen, you risk deflating the dough if you handle it by hand to transfer the dough to the oil.
- If you’d like a change from pastry cream or chocolate hazelnut spread, you can fill the doughnuts with jam or dulce de leche.
- I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour for the most accurate results. However, if you don’t have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup and resulting in too much flour in the dough.
- Keep the mixer on low speed to avoid overworking the doughnut dough.
- Make sure you use a pot that is large enough when deep frying. The doughnuts will expand in the oil, so you want there to be enough space for both the doughnuts and the oil.
- A deep-fry thermometer is key to making the perfect bomboloni. Keep oil temperature between 300°F to 310°F, adjusting the heat as needed. If the oil is too low in temperature, you end up with doughnuts that are greasy on the outside or doughy on the inside. If the oil is too hot, the doughnuts will brown too fast and will not be cooked in the middle.
- Don’t add too many doughnuts at once into the oil, as too many doughnuts will lower the oil’s temperature. The doughnuts will also need room to expand, and it’s easier to flip when there’s space.
- You need to work fast when draining the doughnuts to roll in the sugar. If you wait too long, the doughnuts will cool too much, and the sugar won’t stick to them.
- Wait for the doughnuts to cool completely before filling them. If the bomboloni are still hot, the filling will melt out of the doughnuts.
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